Goods such as medical supplies, blood, and vaccines are often extremely temperature sensitive and need to be maintained within a given temperature range. Transport is particularly challenging. Such temperature sensitive goods are shipped to a variety of destinations where the ambient outside temperature varies from extreme cold to extreme heat.
In the prior art, shipment of temperature controlled supplies has been at least partially achieved by shipping containers lined with six separate vacuum insulation panels forming a container for the temperature sensitive goods. Vacuum insulated panels are extremely effective insulators as long as the internal vacuum remains intact. However, once the external barrier of the panels is breached and the vacuum ceases to exist, the thermal performance of the panels is reduced. The gas resistant outer film of the panel which seals the internal vacuum provides little protection. Therefore, a need exists for an assembly of vacuum insulated panels which have a greater abrasion and impact resistance.